Display hooks, typically mounted on apertured panel board, slotted panels, supporting cross-bars or the like are in widespread usage for displaying carded merchandise for sale. In many cases, such merchandise display hooks are combined with label-mounting means for presenting product information and pricing in association with the carded merchandise. A common form of such label-mounting means consists of arm projecting above and generally parallel to a merchandise supporting arm and mounting a label-holding device at its forward extremity, advantageously in a position directly in front of the outer end of the merchandise display hook. The label-holding device, in such cases, serves an additional function as a means for guarding the outer end of the display hook element against accidental contact.
One of the known label-mounting means for this purpose comprises a wire-like label support arm extending outward, above the merchandise support, and terminating at its outer extremity in a welded-on cross bar element. The cross bar element serves as a pivoting support for a plastic label holder, allowing the label holder to hang downward in front of the outer end of the merchandise support. The pivoting action of the label holder facilitates product removal from the associated product support. If a product being withdrawn forwardly from its display hook engages the plastic label holder, the holder can simply pivot upward out of the way as necessary to allow the product to clear. An additional advantage of pivoting label holders in general is that, with respect to product items displayed at a low level, viewing of the product information and pricing is facilitated by allowing the customer to simply reach down and tilt the label holder upwardly, rather than having to bend or crouch to read the contents of the label.
As is explained in the above-mentioned co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/640,336, the cross bar is preferably welded to an outer surface of the label support arm. One of the advantages of this arrangement, over welding the cross bar directly to the end face of the label support arm, is that the welding procedure (typically electrical resistance welding) is much more reliable and cost efficient. In addition, the arrangement allows the label holder to pivot upward through a greater angle.
A known plastic label holder suitable for the above-described label mounting means is formed of extruded or co-extruded plastic materials and includes a retaining clip portion with a downwardly and forwardly-facing U-shaped recess adapted to pivotally mount on the cross bar of the merchandise display hook. The retaining clip portion of the known label holder has a straight slot usually in the center thereof to accommodate the label support arm to which the cross bar is attached. The slot allows the retaining clip portion to mount over the cross bar without interfering with the label support arm. Similarly, the slot allows the label holder to pivot upward a certain amount prior to contacting the label support arm. However, as will be further described below, the applicant has determined that when the diameter of the label support arm is sufficiently large as compared to the thickness of the material comprising the retaining clip portion, the label holder is prone to becoming caught on the end of the label support arm. This can prevent the complete downward rotation of the label holder and thus can result in the label holder being undesirably tilted or propped up. As has been discovered by the applicant, this condition occurs when the relatively thin retaining clip portion slides into a convergent gap formed between the straight bottom of the cross bar and cylindrical upper surface portions of the label support arm, when the label holder is in an upwardly-rotated position. As the label holder rotates downward, the end of the retaining clip portion can contact the label support arm and hinder further downward rotation.
The present invention is directed to a merchandise display hook of the general type described above, including a pivoted label holder arrangement, which is improved with respect to known constructions. To this end, the device of the invention includes an improved form of label holder, for mounting on a cross bar element mounted on top of a label support arm of a merchandise display hook adjacent the outer end thereof. In one form of the invention, the label holder includes a retaining clip portion with a tapered center slot which provides for pivotal mounting on a cross bar of the type described above while avoiding the problems of prior designs. The slot is tapered generally inwardly from the open end such that the open end of the slot is wider than the center. The tapered configuration ensures that the material of the retaining clip portion adjacent the open end of the slot (i.e., the end corners) can not contact the end of the label support arm during rotation. That is, the sections of the retaining clip portion which could otherwise contact the label support arm have been removed. Thus, if a retaining clip portion were to slide into the gap formed between the cross bar and the label support arm, the tapered sides of the slot would avoid contacting the label support arm and allow complete downward rotation of the label holder.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.